Broadside
State to Ban Texting While Driving
Photo courtesy of flickr user irinaslutsky.
By Student Media Copy Editor Jacqueline Schafer
Effective July 1, texting while driving will be banned in Virginia. Gov. Tim Kaine signed House Bill 1876 into law on March 30, prohibiting drivers from using “any handheld personal communications device to manually enter multiple letters or text or to read a text message,” according to http://virginia.gov. The law will not apply to reading caller information or a name and number stored in the device.
Campus News in Brief
Compiled by Broadside News Editor Kevin Loker & Asst. News Editor Justin Petrisek
Mason Pep Band Volunteers to Play for Bemidji State
George Mason University is getting another chance to cheer on a Cinderella team in an NCAA tournament—this time it’s not Mason.
The No. 16 seed in the NCAA hockey tournament, Bemidji State, isn’t flying their pep band to the semifinal game in Washington, so Mason’s band volunteered.
Bandleader Michael “Doc Nix” Nickens says they’re perfecting the Bemidji State fight song and studying their opponent, Miami University of Ohio, for trash-talking purposes. “I have them literally on heckling scholarships,” said Nickens.
A Week in Photos
Take a look back at some of the best events on campus last week, featuring events from International Week and a variety of athletic competitions.
To have your photos featured on the site, please e-mail cmasonmedia@gmail.com.
Krieger Hits 12th Home Run on Historic Day
Photo by Russell Osbourne.
Senior shortstop Brent Weiss rounds the bases at the game last Wednesday.
Senior shortstop Brent Weiss rounds the bases at the game last Wednesday.
By Broadside Sports Editor Brian Chan
Four years ago, Chris Looze departed George Mason University as the all-time leader in home runs and RBIs. Senior left fielder Scott Krieger displaced Looze for the home run record last season and gained sole possession of the RBI record after the baseball team (26-5, 7-2) won their seventh straight with a 12-0 rout over the Liberty Flames (21-10, 9-2) on Wednesday afternoon.
Mason entered the week ranked 25th by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and 30th by the National College Baseball Writers Association. For a team that never earned a national ranking in its school history, Mason already holds a 2-0 record as a ranked team after annihilating the George Washington Colonials 17-5 on Tuesday and the Flames on Wednesday.
Mason’s Own Shoe-Gooder
By Broadside Editor-in-Chief Nicole Ocran
They go by many different names—sneakers, trainers, kicks—we all sport a pair every now and then. But most of us would never consider what just one pair of shoes can do.
When senior Brandon McLaughlin isn’t in class or setting up double blocks for the men’s volleyball team, he is working as a campus representative for TOMS shoes and runs the TOMS @ Mason chapter.
TOMS shoes has a very simple business plan: one for one. For every pair of shoes sold, one pair goes to a child in need. Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS shoes, came up with this simple business plan on a three-week excursion in Argentina. Since its start in 2006, TOMS has given over 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in need and plans to give 300,000 this year.
No Beer Queers: Why Alcohol is No Excuse
By Broadside Sex Columnist Billy Curtis
It has come to my attention in recent days that more and more often, an act is committed that clearly goes unnoticed by the public eye. Many joke about it; some even disbelieve its accusations. I am writing to you today to tell you the truth! A couple years ago, a friend showed me a video on YouTube entitled “Bro Rape.” This video took a great approach to this unheard crime of closeted homosexual frat guys forcing themselves upon others for sexual gains. Bringing promises of beer, GameCube, Jack Johnson and later, after the subject has been seduced or intoxicated, said ‘Bro’ goes in for the kill, possibly with a black dildo. Despite this stereotypical scenario of Bro Rape, there are many other varieties of this horrible crime. In my many years of experience with dating, sex and all of the above, I have come in contact with many closeted frat guys. The things I learned from them have at some points been beneficial to my life and in others have tortured me so.
Not Just Another Mall Cop Movie
By Broadside Correspondent Michael Kiely
Observe and Report opens with the typical, cliché setting of a suburban mall. Consumers wade through the merchandise of opening stores, grannies partake in their five hour-long power walks, while high school girls swoon over the hottest guy they can find.
All seems peaceful in this ordinary, suburban mall, except for the trenchcoat-wearing lunatic that runs through the parking lot, flashing his genitals and accosting anything with eyes.
For the Average Student: Josh & Amanda
Photo by Courtney Erland.
Student Government Candidates Joshua St. Louis and Amanda Johnson.
Student Government Candidates Joshua St. Louis and Amanda Johnson.
Why are you running for office?
St. Louis: We feel that the student government has become out of touch with the needs of the average student.
Do you have a specific campaign platform?
St. Louis: I really want to make sure people know what Student Government does. I want to create a website just maintained by the executive branch to tell people what we do. I want to increase the Town Hall Initiative. I want to make my office open to everyone, so people can come and tell me their concerns. I want to make a State of the Union Address at the beginning of the second semester. And I want to create an office of an Attorney General, so that students’ rights can be protected and so if they have a complaint they can bring it to that office.
Help All Students: Kyle & Jillian
Photo by Courtney Erland.
Student Government Candidate Kyle McDaniel.
Student Government Candidate Kyle McDaniel.
Why are you running for office?
McDaniel: To help people, to help students. Anything that the Student Government can do to ease a little bit of pressure, that’s what we need to be doing. That’s why I’m running.
Do you have a specific campaign platform?
McDaniel: My plan to help all students consists of three key issues. The first issue is controlling spending from the student government, spending money better. The second issue is increasing student representation in student government through informal things like inviting students over to meetings, posting the bills, minutes, and resolutions online, doing electronic newsletters, things like that. The third thing I want to do is be a more effective advocate with the administration. The administration needs to understand that the needs of the students should be coming first and the student government can be the person and the entity to convey that.
Outreach and Action: Dev & Tyler
Photo by Courtney Erland.
Student Government Candidates Dev Dasgupta and Tyler King.
Student Government Candidates Dev Dasgupta and Tyler King.
Why are you running for office?
Dasgupta: I really don’t feel Student Government’s presence on campus. I really want to show students that Student Government can reach out to students and show that we’re working to better a day in the life of a student at Mason.
King: I feel Student Government should be the ones that are being proactive to the students. Coming from the outside, we have a good view of what the students want and need and have an understanding of various issues at the university. Even though we don’t have experience in Student Government, we can come in and be the voice of the students.
JC 